Former Sixer Bynum suspended by Cavs indefinitely

The Cleveland Cavaliers suspended center Andrew Bynum just 28 games into his first season with the team. (USA Today Images)

CLEVELAND -- The Andrew Bynum experiment appears over for the Cavaliers.

The team suspended the enigmatic center indefinitely on Saturday for "conduct detrimental to the team" and banned him from all team-related activities. Bynum, who signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Cavs in July, did not travel with the team to Boston for Saturday's game and it's likely that he has played his final game for Cleveland.

The Cavs will try to trade Bynum.

Bynum's suspension isn't a major shock considering he has not performed at a consistent level and has appeared uninterested while on the floor. Earlier this season, the 7-footer, who did not play a single second last season for Philadelphia because of knee injuries, talked openly about retirement and said his medical issues have been a challenge to overcome.

"It's a terrible situation internally with our team," All-Star guard Kyrie Irving said before the Cavs faced the Celtics. "It's something we have to get over."

Cavs coach Mike Brown has been a huge supporter of Bynum. The two were together in Los Angeles and their relationship was one of the reasons the Cavs risked signing Bynum (see full story).

Heat: LeBron's status uncertain for SaturdaySACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Miami Heat hoped to rest three banged-up regulars and lean on LeBron James to steal a road victory before visiting one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

Instead, the Sacramento Kings spoiled those plans - and James hurt himself in the process.

DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points and 17 rebounds, Rudy Gay scored 26 and the Kings rallied from an early 17-point deficit to beat the short-handed Heat 108-103 in overtime Friday night.

James said he strained his right groin before finishing with 33 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as Miami's six-game winning streak ended. Whether he plays at Portland on Saturday night is uncertain (see full story).

Hawks: Horford out indefinitelyATLANTA -- Al Horford, the Atlanta Hawks' leading scorer and rebounder, is out indefinitely with a torn right pectoral muscle, leaving his status for the remainder of the season in question.

Horford left during the first overtime of Thursday night's 127-125 double-overtime win at Cleveland and did not return. The Hawks said an MRI and examination on Friday by Dr. Michael Bernot in Atlanta revealed the complete tear of the muscle.

"We will work with Al and complete our due diligence to determine the next best steps for him," Hawks general manager Danny Ferry said in a statement. "Injuries are part of the challenge of an NBA season."

For the Hawks (16-13), the loss of Horford for the season or even for an extended period could be devastating. Following Josh Smith's exit to Detroit as a free agent, Horford has taken leadership with point guard Jeff Teague and power forward Paul Millsap (see full story).